West Midlands canals neighbourhood watch

Representatives of the Canal & River Trust, West Midlands Police and local business and community groups launch Canal Watch

The Canal & River Trust and West Midlands Police have launched a neighbourhood watch scheme on the region’s canal network.

Under the free to use Canal Watch scheme, people living by the water, boaters and waterside businesses can sign up for police updates and free crime prevention advice. People will also be encouraged to report and share any suspicious activity so that action can be taken.

“With Canal Watch we want to make the fantastic sense of community that already exists on our waterways more visible," said Peter Mathews CMG, chair of the Canal & River Trust’s West Midlands Waterways Partnership. "We want to show people that collectively those living and working on the waterways, the local police and other stakeholder groups are working together to share information and keep people and property safe.”

Forensic kits available

Leaflets and stickers will be distributed to local people, boaters and businesses with signage also being displayed across the region’s waterways. Forensic marking kits will also be handed out to boaters enabling their valuables to be traced if needed.

A Canal Watch option has been added to WMNow, the new West Midlands Police messaging tool, that enables communities to be kept up to date with what is happening in their areas.

The scheme is initially being rolled out in the West Midlands Police region.